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kckool7 wrote:For a 3.23-3.3? I wouldn't. First of all, I don't think the GPA is low enough to require an addendum. You're hardly the first applicant to have shitty grades before straightening yourself out. Second of all, it sounds like the drug use was illegal. Highlighting that as a major problem could be a C&F issue which may make adcoms wary. Third, I think it makes you sound like a basket case who might not be able to handle the emotional stress and anxiety inherent in academics at a very competitive law school. I'm just a 0L, but that's my 2 cents.

masked kavana wrote:I had a lot of the same problems you did and petitioned for retroactive withdrawal from my community college. I had my therapist write a letter about my diagnosis to substantiate my claim and most of my bad grades were erased.

It's definitely worth a shot.

If that doesn't work, I wrote an addendum about my mental health issues and don't think it affected my cycle at all. It's all about how you frame it.

WhiskeynCoke wrote:"Don't focus on the immaturity or drug use. Talk about the diagnoses of these diseases, how you've successfully treated them, and how that's reflected in your more recent grades."

- Seconded
- Definitely don't talk about all the meth you used to do
- Seriously consider not writing one at all. What positive difference could it make? In my opinion, making excuses for past mistakes always makes you look worse, not better. Especially if you just wasted even MORE of the person's time who is reviewing your file.

bp shinners wrote:Don't focus on the immaturity or drug use. Talk about the diagnoses of these diseases, how you've successfully treated them, and how that's reflected in your more recent grades.

BigZuck wrote:OP, how old are you? If you're a 22 year old K-JD who is looking back calling your 19 year old self immature whereas now you're mature I'm not sure that is exactly an assessment you can make. I only say this because I knew someone in my grad program who had all these issues in college, went to law school at Columbia and flaked after the first year, then went to a PhD program and flaked after the second year and is now doing who knows what. Not saying you are her and not trying to downplay the progress you have made but maybe it's a good idea to work for a while, both to distance yourself from your grades and your former problems and decide if you really want to go to law school. There is a world of difference between someone who is in their early, mid, and late 20s, believe me.

Just a thought, feel free to disregard that advice if it's not applicable.

mrizza wrote:I would write the GPA addendum like any other addendum. I wouldn't give them any reason to worry about you being unstable. Just say you found your motivation later in your undergrad career, and you feel your lower grades at the beginning are not a fair representation of your abilities in the classroom. That's all they want to hear you say, anything beyond that and you're just raising eyebrows.

mrizza wrote:Just say you found your motivation later in your undergrad career, and you feel your lower grades at the beginning are not a fair representation of your abilities in the classroom. That's all they want to hear you say, anything beyond that and you're just raising eyebrows.